Arms Control at the U.N. General Assembly

Morgan Lorraine Roach /
September 22, 2010

As the U.N. General Assembly meets this week, arms control and disarmament are likely to be hot topics on the agenda. It is important for the United States not to pursue any means of multilateralism that would damage U.S. national interests, including any agreement to reduce arms. The Obama Administration should not cede any authority to an intensely bureaucratic forum that seeks to limit U.S. capabilities.

In his chapter in ConUNdrum, Heritage Senior Research Fellow Baker Spring, argues that any effort to disarm the United States constrains America’s ability to defend itself and its allies. Additionally, these processes fail to confront arms buildups of unpalatable regimes like Iran. Spring suggests that the U.S. should work to streamline the U.N.’s arms control and disarmament infrastructure. Furthermore, he argues for the elimination of several processes and traditions that have proven counterproductive. By doing so, the U.S. would be able to achieve a more structured and less bureaucratic means of multilateral diplomacy while at the same time maintaining America’s sovereignty.